Bismarck U.S. Census office opens Thursday

The North Dakota Census Office in Bismarck opens Thursday and recruitment for workers is now kicking into gear.

Officials say they're looking to hire as many people as they can from October to November.

Their goal is to hit 12,000 applicants.

Of that number, they plan to hire on about 10 to 15 percent.

Specialists say the Census determines how tax dollars and how many congressional seats get divided up.

"If North Dakota thinks, hey you know we've reached a point where we should have two representatives. We've reached a point where we should have more money for Bismarck or Fargo or for the western oil fields or for wherever, this is your chance," said U.S. Census Bureau media specialist Josh Manning.

Manning says the government encourages everyone to apply as a census worker even if they have a felony or think they won't meet requirements.

Employees do lots of door to door questionnaires and paper form drop-offs.

The pay scale is different for each county throughout the state. Manning says pay in North Dakota will be about $13 to $15 an hour.

Workers are able to choose when they work with a goal of accumulating 20 hours or more each week.

The job itself will run from April to July of 2020.

"If people aren't out counting their neighbors, if they aren't out counting their family, if they aren't out counting everybody in their community, then their community is going to get short funded. Their community is going to get shortsighted when ten years comes around," Manning explains.

He says this is the first time citizens can fill out an online census form.

However, he says the government still needs a door to door work force and workers who make sure the online forms are understood and filled out correctly.

To learn more or sign up for an employee position, you can visit www.2020census.gov/jobs.Bismarck U.S. Census Office Opens Today

The North Dakota Census Office in Bismarck opens today, and recruitment for workers is now kicking into gear.

Officials say they're looking to hire as many people as they can from October to November.

Their goal is to hit 12,000 applicants.

Of that number, they plan to hire on about 10 to 15%.

Specialists say the Census determines how tax dollars and how many congressional seats get divided up.

"If North Dakota thinks, hey you know we've reached a point where we should have two representatives. We've reached a point where we should have more money for Bismarck or Fargo or for the western oil fields or for wherever, this is your chance," says U.S. Census Bureau Media Specialist Josh Manning.

Manning says the government encourages everyone to apply as a census worker even if they have a felony or think they won't meet requirements.

Employees do lots of door to door questionnaires and paper form drop-offs.

The pay scale is different for each county throughout the state. Manning says pay in North Dakota will be about $13 to $15 an hour.

Workers are able to choose when they work with a goal of accumulating 20 hours or more each week.

The job itself will run from April to July of 2020.

"If people aren't out counting their neighbors, if they aren't out counting their family, if they aren't out counting everybody in their community, then their community is going to get short funded. Their community is going to get shortsighted when ten years comes around," Manning explains.

He says this is the first time citizens can fill out an online census form.

However, he says the government still needs a door to door work force and workers who make sure the online forms are understood and filled out correctly.

To learn more or sign up for an employee position, you can visit www.2020census.gov/jobs.